Netflix, the widely popular streaming media platform, has some big news this week. The company is about to get more serious about producing TV contents and Film titles. The company has just announced that it has acquired an independent comic publishing company for an undisclosed amount.
According to BBC, Netflix has acquired Millarworld, an independent comic book publisher that was founded by Mark Millar. Millarworld is the company behind a host of iconic charters and series, which include the “Kingsman” and “Kick-Ass” franchises. It also the creative force behind some of Marvel’s best hits, which include the much-talked “Old man Logan.” The deal will provide Netflix access to Millarworld’s vast portfolio of characters and stories.
Netflix, a closer look at the American streaming giant
Founded in 1997 and based in Los Gatos, California, Netflix is an entertainment company that provides streaming media and video-on-demand services. The company has expanded into TV series and film productions. In 2013, it entered the content-production market with its first tv show, “House of Cards.”
The company has managed to release an estimated 126 original series of films in 2016, more than any other media networks or cable channel operators. Netflix currently has around 103.95 million subscribers worldwide, including 51 million subscribers in the US market.
What the latest deal means for Netflix
By acquiring Millarworld, a publisher with a vast portfolio of stories and comic books, the company is hoping to benefit from the vast record that one day could translate into successful film franchises.
By acquiring Millarworld, a publisher with a vast portfolio of stories and comic books, the company is hoping to benefit from the vast record that one day could translate into successful film franchises. The timing is good for Netflix. The company is currently in the process of shifting away from its dependence on licensed contents toward producing original contents.
Additionally, this could also simplify the management of content rights in international markets, thus extending Netflix’s reach in the big market.
The Millarworld deal represents a huge step for Netflix for acquiring content libraries that appeal most to the big crowd. This will also give Netflix a more flexible way to avoid the brutal and costly bidding war over licensing TV contents and film titles, which is expected to get more intense in the coming months.
Other Netflix-related news
The streaming service has suffered some server downtime, according to Down Detector, which known for tracking service interruptions and outages worldwide. On the website’s outage heat map, it shows that the outage issue is mostly affecting users in Europe with some incidents in American East Coast and South America.
Netflix has already confirmed the issue on its official Twitter account. Minutes after its confirmation on Twitter, Netflix has posted on twitter, confirming that their servers are functional again.